Machine for forming and conveying pouring spouts for containers



Oct. 27, 1942. BRUCKER 2,300,099

MACHINE FOR FORMING AND CONVEYING POURING SPOUTS FOR CONTAINERS Filed July 25, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet l W 18 2,85 65 f6 15 Le 15 E Q E 1 INVENTOR w B l ORNEY Oct. 27, 1942. 0 R KER 2,300,099

MACHINE FOR FORMING AND CONVEYING POURING SPOUTS FOR CONTAINERS Filed July 25, 1940 E SheetS-Sheet 2 WI 1 40 w %I/, 3/ 3; I H 17/ 45 I "WI 7,? 45 46 x0 7 5 49% q w'rfl l I N 7 ii g1 INVENIOR v M BY W &

llllllll Oct. 27, 1942.

H. BRUCKER MACHINE FOR FORMIfJG AND CONVEYING POURING SjPOUTS FOR CONTAINERS Filed July 25, 1940 s Sheets-Shet 3 H. BRUCKER Oct. 27, 1942.

MACHINE FOR FORMING AND CONVEYING POURING SPOUTS FOR CONTAINERS Filed July 25, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 AM NEY 4% 7 W 11 ll 7 J 7 4 v k K of W W 0 6 m 3 1 y l ww Z INVENTOR 7 ATLI? Oct. 27, 1942. BRUCKER 2,300,099

MACHINE FOR FORMING AND CONVEYING PUURING SPOUTS FOR CONTAINERS Filed JuLy 25, 1940 5SheetS'-Sheet 5 INVENTOR g A ORNEY Patented Oct. 27, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Henry Brucker, Maplewood, N. J.

Application July 25, 1940, Serial No. 347,385

10 Claims.

This application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application Serial No. 167,359 filed October 5, 1937, now Patent No. 2,216,733. The invention described in that application relates particularly to the manufacture of containers having pouring spouts therein of the nature shown and described in United States Patents Nos. 1,966,284 and 2,011,434 granted to Henry Brucker on July 10, 1934, and August 13, 1935, respectively, although the machine of the present invention may be utilized for inserting other types of pouring spouts into other containers. The machine of that application includes means whereby at one station the spouts in partially completed blank form are fed successively, the blanks are bent to form sector-shaped wings, prongs are stamped up from the body portions ofthe spouts, and the containers are fed past said station, the completed spouts being inserted into and secured in the walls of the containers as the containers move past said station.

The present application relates to the portion of said machine comprising the mechanism for forming the spout blanks and moving or conveying them to a given point or station where they may be inserted in containers or otherwise disposed of as desired.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved construction and combination of parts whereby partially completed spout blanks are fed in a continuous strip with a step-by-step motion, and the blanks are bent to form wings and are punched to form prongs at one step of movement, and each spout is severed from the strip at another step during which the spout may also be fed, moved or transported to a predetermined point, for example into the wall of a container. This combination of parts provides a simpler and more rapid formation and insertion of pouring spouts than would be possible if the spouts are completely and separately formed and then fed to and inserted into the wall of a container by a separate machine or manually.

Other objects of the invention are to provide novel and improved simple, reliable and durable means for feeding the spout blank strips, for forming the prongs in the spouts and bending the spout "blanks to form the wings, and for cutting the completed spouts from the blank strips and moving or conveying the spouts to a predetermined point, for example into the walls of containers; and to obtain other. advantages description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a machine for forming and conveying pouring spouts for containers, constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a, top plan view of the machine. Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2, showing the first step in feeding the spout blank strip.

Figures 6 and 7 are transverse vertical sectional views on the respective lines 66.and 'l'l of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 5, showing the next successive step in the iormation of a spout.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the next successive step which is the severing of a completed spout from the spout blank strip.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 8 showing the last operation in forming a spout and conveying it to a predetermined point.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view on the line Illl of Figure 9.

Figure 12 is a horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line l2l2 of Figure 3, and

Figure 13 is a similar View taken on the line I3 -|3 of Figure 4.

While the machine of the present invention may be utilized for forming. and conveying different types of spouts, for the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention, the spout herein contemplated comprises a body portion a,

prongs b on the body portion to penetrate and be clinched upon a container wall for securing the spout therein, and wings or flanges 0 mov able in the pouring opening of the container as the spout is moved from closed to open position.

The machine of the present invention includes a main support or bracket A that may be mounted in a suitable manner and which in the machine of my above-mentioned Patent No. 2,216,733, is supported on the main frame of the machine at one side of the carriage which supports and moves the containers past the spout forming and inserting mechanism. On the bracket is mounted a guide for a continuous strip B of spout blanks. As shown, this strip of spout and results as will appear from the following blanks includes a plurality of flat blanks connected in end-to-end relation, each blank being shaped to provide the body portion and side wings of a finished spout (see Figures 6, 7 and 11). The guide has a guideway I which is shown as formed between two plates 2 and 3, the latter of which is hingedly connected at 4 on a horizontal axis on the bracket A. Preferably a flat spring 5 is provided in a recess between the plates 2 and 3 for yieldingly frictionally holding the blank strip against movement.

The feeding mechanism for the blank strip includes a block 6 slida-bly mounted in the outer plate 2 and having pivotally connected thereto at 1 a pair of feed dogs 8 which are connected to move together by a cross-rod 9 at their lower ends. The upper ends of the dogs have inturned fingers Hi to engage behind the edges of the respective blanks of the blank strip B as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the feed dogs being normally influenced into feeding relation to the blank strip by a spring-pressed plunger 41. The block 6 and do s 8 are reciprocated with a step-b-y-step movement to feed the blank strip one blank at a time, by a lever which is journaled intermediate its ends at |2 on an arm I3 projecting from the bracket A and has a pin and slot connection M at one end with the block 6 and its other end provided with a' lfollower'roller |5 that engages a horizontal cam I6 carried by a vertical drive shaft journaled in suitable bearings including a bearing It on the bracket A. The drive shaft I! may be connected to any suitable source of power in anysuitable manner known to those skilled in the art.

Preferably a tension spring '48 is provided for actuating the feed block 6 in the direction opposite to that in which it is moved by the cam: l6, said'spring also holding the roller I5 in contact with said cam.

Juxtaposed to the guideway I adjacent the upper end thereof is a spout forming mechanism. This mechanism includes a die 20 juxtaposed to the guideway I at one side thereof, and a complemental movable die 21 at the opposite side of the guideway. The movable die 2| is reciprocable in an auxiliary bracket'22 on the main bracket or support A, by'a cam .23 and two follower rollers 24 and 25, one of which is journaled on a pin 26 on the die block while the other is journaled on a stud 21 on one end of a link 28% the other end of which is pivotally connected to the pin 26, the rollers 24 and 25 engaging the cam at diametrically opposite points, and the link 28 having a slot 29 for clearance around the shaft IT.

The die block 2| carries a pair of punches to cooperate with openings 3| in the die block 20 for forming the prongs b on the spouts, and at opposite sides of the'punches the die block carries bending arms or wings 32 to embrace and cooperate with a portion of the die block 20 for forming the flanges c of the spout as shown in Figures 9, 11, 12 and 13.

The plate 2 of the guide has an extension 33 interposed between thespout blank strip B and the die blocks 2| to clear the wings 32, said extension being formed "with openings '34 through which the punches may freely pass; and the die block 2| has mounted therein a spring'plunger 35 to engage said extension 33 to swing'the guide about the pivot 4 and force the extension into tight contact with the spout blank strip B as the movable die block 2| moves toward the die block 20. Springs 36 are .provided'between the plate 3 of the spoutguide' and thebr'acket A for normally swinging the guide in the opposite direction.

In operation, the spout blank strip B is fed into the guideway by hand until the end-most spout blank is disposed in proper relation to the die block 20, as shown in Figure 3, with the fingers H] of the feed dogs 8 underlying the edges of the blank as shown in Figures 3 and 6 and with said fingers at the end of the strip feeding movement as shown in Figure 3. Thereupon, the machine is started in operation to rotate the shaft |l so that the die block 2| is actuated toward the die block 20 to cause the punches 30 to penetrate the'lbody portion of the spout blank and form the prongs b. Simultaneously the wings 32 of the die block 20 bend the spout b ank to form the flanges c all as shown in Figures 4 and13. During this operation, the plunger 35 and extension 33 of the plate 2 firmly hold the blank strip against movement. During continued operation, the die block 2| is withdrawn from the die 'block 20, the extension 33 being held tightly against the blank strip'by the'plunger'35 until the punches have been completelywithdrawn from the openings in the spout blank and the wings 32 have cleared the flanges c,- th extension 33 thus serving'as a stripper. As the die block 2| reaches the end' of its withdrawing movement, the-plunger 3-5 releases the extension 33 so that said extension and'the spout guide are swung by the spring 36 away from the die block 20 to withdraw the prongs from' th openings 3| and permit the next step of feeding of the spout blank strip. In the meantime, the feed dogs 8 will have been lowered for the next step of feeding. The end of this operation is shown in Figure 5. Thereafter, the feed block 6 is actuated upwardly to feed the blank strip one step, thereby moving the completed spout upwardly and locating the next succeeding spout blank in proper relation to the dies 20 and 2| as shown in Figure 8, for the formation'of the next spout as above described.

The nextstep is the severing of the completed spout from the spout blank strip and this is accomplished simultaneously with formation of the next succeeding spout. For this purpose, the die block 2| has a shearing 'blade 37 that cooperates with the upper edge of the ;die block 20 to shear the spout blank strip as shown in Figures 9 and 11.

In accordance with the invention, the severed completed spout is conveyed to a predetermined point, for example a station from which the spout is inserted into the wallo-f a container as shown in my abovementionedco-pending application Serial No. 167,359.

For this purpose I'provide a spout conveying mechanism above the guideway and the spout forming mechanism. -This conveyingmechanism is shown as including a spout holder38 that has a spout receiving channel39 of a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the shape of the body of the spout and disposed above and extending transversely of the end of the guideway to receive the completed spout as .the latter is ejected from the guideway during the step of feeding of the strip B. A pusher or ram' ifl is slidable in the channel to "push the severed and completed spout through the channel from the guideway to a predetermined point which in the present instance is the end of the channel asshownin Figure 10.

The pusher 40 may be of any suitable constructi'on and actuated by any. suitable means, but as shown, comprises a bar of a cross-section approximately corresponding to the shape of the channel 39, and connected to a guide block 4| that is slidable in a correspondingly shaped opening 42 in the spout holder 38. A cam 43 is keyed on the shaft I! and is engaged by two follower rollers 44 and 45 one of which is journaled on the end of an extension 46 of the guide block 4 I, while the other is journaled on the pusher 40, the two rollers engaging the cam at diametrically opposite points.

With this construction, it will be understood that the spout blank strip B will-be fed step-bystep to successively locate the spout blanks in proper relation to the dies 20 and 2|; a spout blank will be bent to form the flanges and punched to form the prongs at one step, and the spout will be severed from the strip and conveyed to a predetermined point during the next step, there being one spout blank bent and punched simultaneously with the shearing and conveying of the next preceding completed spout. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the various cams I6, 23 and 43 will be so shaped and related to each other as to operate the feed block 6, the movable die block 21, and the ram 40, in properly timed relation to each other.

While the invention has been shown and described as embodied in certain details of structure, it should be understood that this is primarily for the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention, and that many modifications and changes may be made in the details of structure of the machine without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Furthermore, changes in the form of the spout and consequent changes in the form of the machine, are contemplated; and the machine may be modified for the forming and conveying of other parts than pouring spouts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a machine of the character described, means for feeding step-by-step a strip of integrally connected fiat blanks for pouring spouts including a guide having a guide-way for the strip, a die section juxtaposed to said guide-way at one side of the strip, a reciprocable complemental die section at the other side of said strip having bending arms to embrace the first-mentioned die section and bend a blank to form a spout having a body portion and side flanges at the end of each step of movement of the strip, means for reciprocating said reciprocable die section in timed relation to the step-by-step feed of the strip, and means for moving said guide and strip relative to said die sections to move said strip out of its own plane alternately into position to be operated upon by said die and to clear said strip from said dies during feeding movement of the strip.

2. The machine set forth in claim 1 wherein said reciprocable die block includes punches and said fixed die blocks have openings to cooperate with said punches as said reciprocable die block moves toward the fixed die block to form prongs on said spout blanks between said side flanges for attaching the spouts to containers.

3. A machine of the character described comprising a support, a guide having a guide-way for a strip of flat blanks for spouts pivotally mounted on said support, reciprocable feed dogs on said guide to alternately engage and disengage said strip upon movement in opposite directions respectively to feed said strip step-by-step, a die block fixed on said support in juxtaposition to said guide and at one side of said str a complemental die block reciprocable on said support at the other Side of said strip to operate upon said strip at the end of one step of movement of said strip upon movement of said reciprocable die block toward the other die block, means carried by the reciprocable die block to engage and release said guide and move it and saidstrip toward and from said fixed die block upon movement of said reciprocable die block toward and from the fixed die block respectively, and means for reciprocating said reciprocable die block in timed relation to the step-by-step feed of said strip.

4. The machine set forth in claim 3 wherein said reciprocable die block includes punches and said fixed die block has openings to cooperate with said punches as said reciprocable die block moves toward the fixed block for forming prongs on said spout blanks for attaching the spouts to containers, the pivotal movement of said guide away from said fixed die block moving said strip to clear said prongs from the fixed die block for the feeding movement of said strip.

5. The machine set forth in claim 3 wherein said guide has an extension disposed between said strip and said reciprocable die block with clearance for cooperation of said die blocks, and said means on the reciprocabledie block to engage and move the guide is formed to hold said guide and extension and said strip stationary during the initial part of the movement of said reciprocable die block away from the fixed die block so that said extension serves as a stripper.

6. In a machine for forming and handling pouring spouts for containers, means for feeding longitudinally step-by-step a strip of integrally connected flat blanks for spouts, and means for operating on a blank at the end of each step of movement to simultaneously bend the blank to form a body portion and side flanges for a spout and to punch said blank to form prongs between said flanges for attaching the spouts to containers, a guide channel into which the complete spout at the leading end of said strip is inserted at each step of movement, and mechanism operable synchronously with the second-mentioned means to sever said complete spout from said strip in said channel and to convey the spout through said channel to a predetermined point.

7. In a spout forming and handling machine, means including a guide-way for feeding longitudinally step-by-step a strip of integrally connected fiat blanks for spouts, means juxtaposed to said guide for bending a blank to form a complete spout having a body portion and side flanges,

a guide channel into which leads transversely thereof said guide-way whereby the complete spout at the leading end of said strip is inserted into said channel at each step of movement with its body portion disposed transversely of the channel and its said side flanges frictionally contacting with the side walls of the channel, and mechanism operable synchronously with the second-mentioned means to sever said complete spout from said strip and to convey said spout through said channel to a predetermined point.

8. In a spout forming and handling machine, means including a guide-way for feeding longitudinally step-by-step a strip of integrally connected fiat blanks for spouts, means juxtaposed to said guide for bending a blank to form a complete spout having a body portion and side flanges, a guide channel into which leads transversely thereof said guide-way whereby the complete spout at the leading end of said strip is inthrough said channel to apredetermined point.

9. In a spout forming and handling machine, means including aguide-way for feeding longitudinally step-by-step astrip of integrally connected fiat blanks for spouts, means juxtaposed to said'guide for bending a blank to form a complete spout havinga body portion and side flanges, a guide channel into which leads transversely thereof said guide-Way whereby the complete spout-at the leading end of said strip is inserted into said channel at eachstep of movement with its body portion disposed transversely of the channel and its said side flanges frictionally contacting with the side walls of the channel, and mechanism tosever'said completespout from said strip after the spouthas been located in said channel.

10. In a spout forming and handling machine, means including a guide-way for feeding longitudinally step-by-step a strip of integrally connected flat blanks for spouts, means juxtaposed to said guide for bending a blank to form a complete spout having a body portion and side flanges, a guide channel extending transversely of the outlet and of said guideway to receive the complete spout at the leading end of said strip upon each step of movementwith the body portion of the spout extending transversely of the channel, means for severing said complete spout from said strip aftersaid spout has been located in said channel, and means for conveying the severed spouts in succession through the channel. to a predetermined point.

HENRY BRUCKER. 

